Novel Food, green light for the consumption of mealworms

The new food frontier passes through the flour larvae, which Novel Food also benefits from an environmental point of view.

New completely natural protein source forpower of the future, the European Food Safety Agency has given the green light to the use of mealworms as Novel Food for human consumption. It is about the beetle larvae already widely used as “Street Food” in Asian countries, and transformed into edible flour for pet food.

The advantage given by this use is identifiable in final benefits, the consumption of these products is more protein than meat, with a greater balance between protein, fiber and healthy fats. Furthermore these larvae grow and reproduce faster, with a less impact on the environment and a much lower use of resources.

The flour larvae could turn into the food of the future, as Ermolaos Ververis of the European Food Safety Agency argues, the first to undergo a particular processing in compliance with the new food regulations entered into force in 2018. But they could open the dance for the use of many other types of insects, currently under consideration of studies and applications within the world of food. So as to turn them into edible items and appealing to everyone.

Novel Food: insects as a new protein source

The first to make the request to change the larvae in food was the Micronutris company, which has long been breeding insects in its factories in France. According to experts, the consumption of insects would guarantee incredible benefits both for human health and for that of the planet, favoring the use of little feed, a lower production of waste and lower gas emissions. In the face of very low costs and waste, but also of new economic opportunities in new sectors.

The consumption of larvae and insects has long been cleared of customs in many parts of the world such as Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, both as a meal and as an integral part of other products such as snacks or hamburger. A job that could solve the problems related to food production so as to feed the populations of the whole world equally.

The consumption of insects however it could collide with the psychological barriers of the European populations, linked to the habits and cultural experiences of the Old Continent. A repulsion that could be difficult to overcome, but not impossible, always considering that even these products could cause allergies and reactions in the most sensitive subjects.

Source: Daily Mail